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"Okay, my dear husband!"
The flying carpet traced a shimmering line through the air, rushing out from the Hard Shell Tower, soaring over the heads of countless mermaids, and gliding through the connecting pipe toward Fish-Man Island. Along the way, not a single Sea King's soldier dared to block its path.
The Right Minister, who had watched over Shirahoshi for more than a decade, stood quietly, gazing in the direction they left. Tears silently streamed down his face. Perhaps this was the moment when even a hardened man could allow himself to cry.
"Princess, go and enjoy your precious freedom."
...
Northeast of Fishman Street — Sea Forest.
The area was vibrant with colorful corals, and schools of tropical fish danced among them.
Hikaru chatted and laughed with Shirahoshi along the way. Ever since she was brought out by him, she clung to him with a deep sense of dependence.
Whenever they passed beautiful scenery or saw strange-looking fish swimming by, Shirahoshi would excitedly call out to Hikaru, sharing her joy. Sometimes, she would even wrap him in her arms, interacting with him closely.
Young and naïve, Shirahoshi's heart was pure — untouched by the world's darkness. Because of this innocence, her bond with those who treated her kindly grew very quickly.
In her eyes, every word and every action from Hikaru was filled with affection and love.
Their journey went smoothly, and with Hikaru's help — using Neptune's description as a guide — Shirahoshi easily found the grave of her mother, Queen Otohime.
Standing before the grave, Shirahoshi stopped smiling. She folded her long tail beneath her and wept, pouring out the years of sorrow she had kept bottled up. In the end, all her pain and longing came down to a single sentence: "Mother, I miss you so much..."
Afterward, she introduced Hikaru to Queen Otohime, showing him the meaningful pair of earrings she wore.
A gentle breeze brushed past, lifting Shirahoshi's flowing pink hair. In that moment, it felt as if Queen Otohime herself was responding to her daughter's heartfelt cries — and offering her silent blessing to Shirahoshi and Hikaru.
After a long silence, Shirahoshi reluctantly said her goodbyes, then swam toward Hikaru. She wrapped him in a warm embrace, expressing her love for him through shy and clumsy gestures.
"My dear husband, thank you for bringing me to see my mother! This was what I wanted most... and today turned out to be full of surprises."
"You deserve it, Shirahoshi."
"Hmm! What are we going to do next~?"
Hikaru was momentarily stunned. Looking at Shirahoshi's pure, radiant smile, he couldn't help but smile back dotingly.
If it were Nami, Robin, or the others asking that question, he would know exactly what they had in mind.
But with Shirahoshi, her words carried no hidden meaning — just pure innocence.
"What's next..." Hikaru mused.
Ah, right — Robin had mentioned wanting to study the Poneglyph.
"Next, we're heading to the deeper part of the Sea Forest. There's something there that one of your future sisters is very interested in."
"Okay~!" Shirahoshi agreed sweetly. Right now, for her, simply being with Hikaru — basking in the warm sun and breathing in the fresh air — was more than enough.
Hikaru guided the flying carpet toward the deeper part of the forest.
Soon, they arrived at a massive, ancient stone.
Hikaru quickly pulled out his video camera, taking several pictures and recording the carvings. Then, he sat comfortably on Shirahoshi's hand, and the two continued their lively conversation.
Having just confirmed their feelings for each other, it seemed they had endless things to talk about.
But then, Hikaru's eyes flashed red. His Observation Haki caught sight of a huge axe hurtling toward them at breakneck speed — aimed directly at Shirahoshi. Without hesitation, Hikaru flicked his hand, unleashing a bolt of lightning that shattered the axe into pieces midair.
Vander Decken?
Shirahoshi gasped in fright when she saw what happened. Trembling slightly, she hugged Hikaru tightly, feeling both scared and wronged.
The red light faded from Hikaru's eyes. His Observation Haki stayed sharp as he locked onto the shattered remnants of the weapon. Another casual swing of his hand sent a hidden bolt of lightning to destroy any lingering fragments, making sure Shirahoshi wouldn't see them and get frightened again.
"My dear husband, what happened just now?"
Shirahoshi's large, tearful eyes blinked up at him, full of curiosity, as she noticed the blue lightning dancing at his fingertips.
"It's okay, Shirahoshi. I just suddenly remembered something. Come on, I'll take you to deal with the one responsible for keeping you trapped inside the palace."
"The culprit?" Shirahoshi asked, temporarily putting aside her doubts as she swam toward the flying carpet, holding Hikaru close.
The flying carpet spiraled upward, breaking through the waters above Fish-Man Island.
Passing through the double-layered bubble membrane that protected the island, the flying carpet shot straight toward Noah's Ark.
Under the influence of the Piao Piao no Mi's power, the surrounding seawater automatically parted, forming a clear, empty path leading directly to Noah.
"Squawy~ My lord, the sea is moving out of our way~!" Shirahoshi exclaimed in wonder.
Hikaru simply smiled without answering and silently accelerated, making her cry out in surprise again.
After a while, a large, ugly, and menacing head appeared within Hikaru's attack range — and he struck without hesitation.
It was hard to believe, but this massive, grotesque creature was actually a fish-man.
Wadatsumi — once a member of the Flying Pirates — had been fiercely loyal to Vander Decken, only to be betrayed in the end.
Hikaru gently let go of Shirahoshi's thumb and floated in the water. In his hand, he gathered a terrifying storm of thunder, destructive enough to pierce through anything. Within a few breaths, the lightning changed colors — from blue, to purple, and finally to a deep, ominous black. Then he thrust his palm forward.
"Door, door — open the door!"
"Thunder Style: Lightning That Pierces the Dead Night!"
A black thunderbolt, radiating a terrifying darkness, was swallowed by an invisible door in the void.
The next moment, a "black hole" silently appeared at the back of Watatsumi's head. Before the seawater could rush in to fill it, the black lightning had already annihilated everything in its path.
Watatsumi didn't even realize what had happened. One moment, he was charging forward — the next, the back of his head had been pierced by a bolt of black lightning.
A massive hole melted through his head, the searing heat quickly spreading. His remaining body couldn't endure the devastating temperature, and it exploded from within.
Just like that, the massive body of the giant Watatsumi was shattered across the seabed, with his remains quickly becoming a feast for the small, scavenging fish.
Watatsumi had always been slow and mediocre in strength. Facing Hikaru's ruthless, overwhelming attack, his defeat was inevitable.
The smell of scorched flesh had no chance to spread — the dark seawater swallowed everything in an instant.
When Hikaru and Shirahoshi rose higher into the sea, only strange remnants littered the seabed, a silent testament to Watatsumi's former existence.
"Is this the 'Ship of Promise'... Noah?" Hikaru mused silently. "It's enormous — almost half the size of Fish-Man Island. Was it built by the Giants... or Joey Boy?"
"This is... Noah? My dear husband, why have we come here?" Shirahoshi asked, her voice soft. She didn't question Hikaru about the black lightning earlier — she trusted him completely.
"I was thinking... this great ship now belongs to me," Hikaru said with a small smile. "But honestly, it's pretty useless to me."
Now that Hikaru could soar freely ten thousand meters above the ocean, there was no need for him to sail in a ship anymore.
Still, Noah had the capacity to carry at least five hundred million passengers. It would be a shame to simply leave it here to rot.
What could I use it for? Hikaru wondered.